In the food preparation and packaging industry, bulk food items are often transported by conveyors from the food processing area to the packaging area. Bulk food items may include crushable items such as chips, pretzels, or nuts, to name only a few. For efficient space utilization, in many cases the processing area is located at a different elevation than the packaging area. In such plant configurations, the bulk food items must be transported from the processing area to the packaging area in an upward direction.
Existing conveyors for vertical transportation of bulk food items consist largely of bucket conveyors extending primarily in an angularly upward or slanted orientation, and occupying more floor space than truly vertical conveyors. Furthermore, the bucket-type configuration often results in excessive spillage of food items as the buckets receive the products from the processing area, and crushing of the food items as they are discharged from the buckets at the packaging area.
Conveyors, other than bucket conveyors, that extend angularly or in a true vertical orientation have traditionally failed to lift the food items without excess spillage or crushing caused by weight of the items or friction from contact with stationary surrounding surfaces. Many prior art vertical conveyors transport bulk food items at a sharp angle from the horizontal orientation in the processing area to a vertical orientation for upward movement to the packaging area elevation. Likewise, the products are returned at sharp angles from the vertical orientation to a horizontal path once the packaging elevation is reached. Such sharp angles often result in excessive crushing or spillage of the food items.
In addition to the foregoing problems experienced with prior art conveyors, cleaning and maintenance access is often difficult or hazardous. Many prior art conveyors are totally enclosed, making access to the conveyor surface difficult. In the case of conveyors employing two adjacent parallel conveyors, access to the adjacent surfaces of the parallel conveyors for cleaning and maintenance has proven difficult. Furthermore, prior art conveyors employing two parallel conveyors require precise timing and continual maintenance to insure similar rotation speeds, typically utilizing separate drive means for each conveyor.